The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-22

Watt9rSOn as an OySJSr
Cooker-Terrapin and What Reverdy
johnson Gained by Them-Garfield's
Method of Preparing Baked Pota-
toes.
From, the NeD York World.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17-Wining and din
ing become more important elements of
Washington life year after year America
has grown luxurious with its growth of
wealth, and our millionaires and statesmen
are becoming as extravagant in their gas
tronomic tastes as was the Roman Apicius.
The leading statesman of the capital city
now keeps his French cook, and Cabinet
Ministers never think of living upon their
salaries. The 5000 ysar which the mem
bers of the House and Senate receive, does
not pay their living expenses and the outgo
of many public man runs into the tens of
thousands of dollars. 1t is now consid-
cred a sin to sit friend to poorly cooked
dinner, and many of our noted men
not only understand what good
victuals are but they are posted as well
upon the method of their PREPARATION. Sec
rotary Bayard has long been known as an
adept at cooking terrapin, and it is said that
he sometimes prepares the terrapin for his
Cabinet dinners. He has a knack of giving
a peculiar deicacy and flavor to the dish
which the professional cooks have not dis
covered, and epicures say that people who
have not eaten Bayard's terrapin don't know
what terrapin is.
Sam Ward, who will be always remem-
bered as the greatest gastronome Washing
ton has yet known, thought terrapin the
best eating that ever touched palate, and
Ben: Perley Poore who was good judge of
such matters, agreed with him. Ward said
that the terrapin should be served smoking
hot, and he prepared it as follows:
A RECIPE FOR TERRAPIN STEW.
The terrapin was first put in boiling hot
spring water for five minutes to loosen the
skin, and after the skin was taken off it was
put back into boiling water, the tempera-
ture of which was regulated by a Their
mometer. When the claws became soft
enough to pinch into a pulp between the
thumb and finger Ward considered the ter
rapin sufficiently boiled and he took 1t out
and removed the shells, cut off the head and
claws and took out the gall and Sandbag-
This was a very delicate matter, and the
remainder of the terrapin was now cut into
half-inch cubes, all of the juice being pre-
served with great care. TIE whole was
now put into the chatting dish and dressing
of the flour, boiled yolks of eggs and dairy
butter was poured upon it. 1t was sailed
to taste, seasoned with red pepper and
large wineglass of old Madeira and a small
quantity of rich cream was added. This,
when cooked by Sam Ward made dish fit
for king, and it aided, doubt not, in get
ting many bill through Congress.
Speaking of Benz Perley Poore, he was an
epicure of epicures, and he knew receipts for
the best of dishes. He kept the bills of
fare OF all great dinners he ever attended
and he jotted down such noted receipts as
were given him by public men. He had
two receipts of Daniel Webster's, and one
OF these was for punch and another for fish
chowder. Websters fish chowder was made
OF rock cod, crackers and salt pork He had
a large kettle, and having fried his scraps
he deposited the successive layers of fish,
crackers, potatoes and onions over and over
until there was no more room He poured
milk over this and then put it on the fire.
He cooked it quickly, and his black eyes
sparkled and his nose twitched as the APP
petiZing steam rose into the air.
Webster did his own marketing at Wash
ington and he was very fond of opossum
and fine leg of mutton. He selected his
own meats and kept his cellars stocked with
good liquors. His punch was famous in its
day, and it would be very strong for the
diletanti stomachs of the present. 1t was
made of whisky, rum, champagne, arrack,
maraschino, green tea, lemons, sugar, and a
very little water As mixed, a glass or SO
would not make one drunk, but more than
this was very exhilarating, and along in the
''wee sma' hours" of the morning some of
his Senatorial friends occasionally left his
house in very questionable condition.
PLANKED sHAD.
Webster was fond of planked shad, and
he thought this one of the greatest of cpl
curean dainties. Gen. Joe McKibbin, who
now owns Marshall Hall, opposite Mount
Vernon, is noted for his planked-shad din
ners, and he often has the public men of
Washington go down the river to an open
air feast. have seen Gen. Phil Sheridan
and Gen. Rosecrans smack their lips over
McKibbin's planked shad, and it is inter
teresting to stand around and watch the
shad cooking under McKibbins eve. A
HICKORY wood fire is built in the open air.
The shad. fresh from the river, are cleaned
and fastened with iron nails to thick pieces
of hickory plank, each about two feet square
and freshly sawed. These are propped up
facing the fire, and the shad, which had
been cleaned and spread with its inside out
upon the plank before lacking, sizzles and
Kisses under the influence of the flames
When it is done it is sp"inkled with salt the
nails are pulled out and the shad is borne on
the board to the table. 1t has all the deli
cacy of brook trout added to the rich flavor
of the shad, and people who have eaten shad
otherwise cooked can have no idea OF the
sweetness secured by this preparation.
Congressman Scott, of Pennsylvania, the
fifteen millionaire, who is noted as a horse
faucier, as a railroad man and as a poll
tician. is an adept at cooking oysters. He
calls for a chatting dish during the Congress
sional sessions whenever he goes to the
restaurant, has his oysters brought to him
and cooks them himself while he waits. He
often has his frien IS take meal with him,
and he understands how to make good cot
fee. Perry Belmont cooks oysters on a
chatting dish. Garland some times cooks his
own meals at Hominy Ill., the log cabin
home which he has in the woods near Little
Rock, Ark. He catches the fish and game
which form part of many of his meals,
and he has, among other things, very
sweet tooth. He is fond of candy, and the
lozenge he once prepared for Senator Butler,
of South Carolina, has become one of the
traditions of the Senate Chamber Butler
had habit of asking Garla-d for candy, and
as Garland always had some on hand he
was generally supplied. One day Garland
made up a mixture of soap, baptizing it
with mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and
dash of that sauce drop of which will
flavor gallon of soup He laid this on his
desk, anu when Butler asked for his candy
he pointed to it. As soon as Buffers tongue
touched the lozeuge he knew there was
something the matter and the shadow of q
frown passed over his face, to be succeeded
by an expression of determination. His
teeth came together like a sprung rat trap,